Xu Jiang carried the boxes that Qinglongzi had given her onto the carriage, and then said goodbye to him.
He had been practicing at the Wugui Temple on Wugui Peak, but had stayed there because of Xu Yuan and Xu Jiang. Now that he had fulfilled his concerns and wishes, he planned to return to Wugui Peak.
Xu Jiang knew that after this farewell, they would never see each other again, so before leaving, she knelt down and kowtowed to him three times.
Qinglongzi accepted it and then sent her to the car.
"Take care of yourself."
"Immeasurable blessings."
After Xu Jiang left, he turned around and sighed to the Taoist boy following him: "Let's go, it's time for us to go back."
After leaving Qinggang Garden, Xu Jiang fell into deep thought.
The Xu family was completely ruined by Wansheng and had to sell off their slaves, which led her to meet Xu Twelve, who was sold to the cavalry in Beijing. It was also because of Xu Twelve that she learned about her mother Xizhi and traveled to Chongzhou, then back to Yongsui, to pay homage to Xu Yuan as his daughter.
If she had not come here, she would not have reunited with Taoist Qinglongzi, nor would she have known about Wansheng's deeds.
All of this is man-made, but also God's will.
Now thinking of what she had said to him, Xu Jiang felt quite uncomfortable, and that trace of grudge was finally completely eliminated.
From then on, he would be willing to call out "Uncle Wan".
Xu Jiang lifted the carriage curtain and looked back at the red cloud in the Qinggang Garden. She looked at the temple eaves hidden in the treetops and thought of the statue of Wenchangjun. The ashes in her heart were finally blown away by the wind and grew into tenacious roots.
Her master, her father, could finally rest in peace from then on.
When the group returned to the post station, the guards were ready. Xu Jiang and Shan Bo said goodbye to the post station chief and left the city.
When he arrived at the city gate, he saw a guard being scolded. Shan Bo looked closely and found that it was the official who led the way for him yesterday.
"Xi Hui, do you still think you're some master of the Xi family? You've been sneaking around all day, I'm warning you, you'd better behave yourself, or I'll tell you to get out right away."
Xi Hui bowed and kowtowed, quickly admitting his mistake and trying to please him.
Upon hearing this, Shan Bo couldn't help but regret that he shouldn't have given the one or two ounces of silver yesterday. Even if he had used it to buy meat buns to feed the dog, it would have been better than giving it to this person.
Xu Jiang stared at the hunchbacked and wretched man, sneered, lowered the curtain, and pretended to be out of sight.
————Dividing Line————
After the Mid-Autumn Festival, the emperor ordered the eunuchs to announce in court that a group of aristocratic families, led by Minister Kou, the Minister of Rites, the Minister of Revenue, and the Imperial Censor, had colluded with Guo Yuanzhen and the Turks, attempting to collude with the enemy and rebel, thereby subverting the state. He also ordered the Secretariat, the Supreme Court, and the Ministry of Justice to examine the evidence, determine the appropriate punishment for the guilty officials, and expedite their execution to restore order at court.
As soon as this decree was issued, it immediately shocked the whole country and caused an uproar inside and outside the court. Not only were officials and students discussing it, but even ordinary people could no longer remain silent. After dinner, they slammed the table and threw bowls, speaking angrily.
Driven by public outrage, the provincial and municipal governments were forced to expedite the trials, and finally, after seven days, all the convicted officials were sentenced. The sage then personally conducted the trial, setting up a platform on Suzaku Street and delivering the verdicts in front of the public to appease the public's anger.
Minister Kou, Minister Wang, Minister Luo, and Imperial Censor Zhao were stripped of all official positions, their property confiscated, thrown into prison, and given poisoned wine. All male members of their clans were exiled 3,000 miles away, with no mercy except death, and their female relatives were enslaved by the government, unable to redeem themselves without a general amnesty.
The rest of the accomplices will be exiled or demoted according to the law.
As for Guo Yuanzhen, the governor of Beiting, he should have been sentenced to death. However, the emperor spared his life because all the men in his family sacrificed their lives fighting the enemy. He was stripped of all his military posts and duties, and was exiled to the imperial tomb to serve as a guard.
The rest of the accomplices in Beiting were also dismissed from their posts, sentenced to three years of hard labor, and sent back to their hometowns to be supervised by the local headman. They were not allowed to be recruited into the army again.
On the day of the verdict, all the convicted officials looked as pale as death. They were then paraded through the streets amid the spit of the people and were all taken to the prison of the Ministry of Justice.
Mu Cong was not included in the list of officials who committed crimes. Firstly, he turned himself in and reported the crime, thus offsetting his faults. Secondly, Zhao Xiu saved his official position by helping Lou Yunchun capture the leader of the thieves.
Zhao Xiu confessed that he had been instigated by the two ministers Wang and Luo to frame Du Hui for cheating, and completely vindicated Du Hui. However, he was convicted for this and sentenced to fifty lashes and one year in prison.
Because his injuries had not yet healed and he could not bear it, his teacher Mu Cong also took it on his behalf.
The sage, moved by the relationship between master and disciple, spared him the flogging.
Zhao Xiu took the opportunity to present the map he had taken from the Turkic spies, which made it easier to eliminate the Turkic spies in Anxi, Hexi and Beiting.
The sage had already read Zhao Xiu's confession from the files submitted by Lou Yunchun. Knowing that he possessed genuine talent and wisdom, he cherished his talent. He used this incident to revoke the original ban on Zhao Xiu, restoring his status as a good person. After his imprisonment expired, he could still take the imperial examinations.
Although Mu Cong was acquitted and kept his official position, he was demoted and exiled to Suzhou, where he became a county magistrate.
Before leaving Beijing, he brought many books from Mu's Mansion and filled Zhao Xiu's cell with them. He urged him not to slack off even in difficult circumstances, but to study hard and take the imperial examination after his release to strive for a bright future.
Zhao Xiudu agreed.
Actually, a one-year prison sentence might be a good thing for Zhao Xiulai. Firstly, he could stay in Beijing and study without distractions, preparing for the exam. Secondly, he could avoid Ayan Lianshan's search.
That man is vindictive and I have treated him so cruelly. If I get caught by him, I will definitely be skinned alive. It would be safer to be in the Dali Temple Prison.
When the dust settled, the prisoners were successively sentenced, and Mu Cong was ordered to leave the capital. Before leaving, he asked his relatives and friends not to see him off, fearing that they would be implicated. Therefore, on the day of his departure, he left the capital in a very lonely and desolate manner.
After leaving the city, he stopped the carriage and looked back at Chang'an. Chang'an was still the same as before, neither sad nor happy for anyone.
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